Electromagnetic switching device.



A. E. LUNDELL.

ELECTIRUMAGNETEC SWITCHING DEVICE.

APPLlCATION FILED SEPT. 11. ms.

1 73,245. Patented July 23, 1918.

hive/War: A/hen E. L unde/fi by Affy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

All-BEN E. LUN DELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY,

INCORPORATED, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF NEW'YORK.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SWITCHING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 11, 1916. Serial No. 119,477.

To all 207mm 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, Annex E. LUNDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electromagnetic Switching Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to electromagnetic switching devices, its main object being the insurance of uniform and reliable contact eugagement under varying values of operating current and with a minimum required value of holding current.

This invention therefore provides an electromagnetic relay which, when energized, causes a contact-carrying disk of insulating material to rotate. Upon the rotation of the disk, contact plates mounted on the disk slidably engage and disengage suit-ably mounted contact springs to control circuits. The contact springs may be interconnected in any desired manner so that a conducting circuit may be completed or interrupted between any desired number of contact springs. A retractile spring may be provided for returning the insulating disk to its normal position upon the deenergization of the elec-'. tromagnet. 1

The nature of this invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electromagnetic relay showing one embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of the relay; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of a portion of the relay showing the armature and contact springs controlled thereby.

As shown in the drawing, the relay comprises a core 5 and a winding 6 therefor, located between spool-heads 7, 7 of insulating material. Fastened to the forward spool-head 7, by means of screws 9, 9 are two arms or supports 8, 8 extending forward from the spool-head. The free ends of these arms support a shaft 11, which is pivoted between two screws 10, 10 threaded into and through the free ends of the arms 8, 8. Mounted on this shaft, which is free to turn about the axis of the cone-pointed bearing screws, is a disk 12 of insulating material, to the edge of which is secured a magnetic armature 18. The disk also carries contact plates 14, 14; 15, 15; 16, 16 and 17, 17, the two plates of each pair being mounted on opposite sides of the insulating disk, the surface of the plates preferably being flush with the faces of the disk. The two contact plates of each pair may or may not be electrically connected together, depending upon service requirements. Mounted on the rearward extension of the core adjacent to the outer face of the rear spool-head 7 is a contact spring clamp 18, by means of which springs 19, 19; 20, 20, 21, 21 and 22, 22, insulated from each other and from the frame, are heldin position, as shown. The free ends of these springs are bent toward the insulating disk 12so that they may have sliding engagement with the contact plates carried by the insulating disk.

Upon the energization of the core 5 by current in the winding 6, the armature 13 is attracted and drawn into a position adjacent to-the end of the core 5, thereby rotating the insulating'disk 12 in the direction indicated by the arrow. The rotation of the insulating disk 12 carries the contacts 14., 1 1 and 16, 16 into sliding engagement with contact springs 19, 19 and 21, 21, and at the same time carries contact plates 15, 15 and 17, 17 out of engagement with contact springs 20, 20 and 22, 22. Assume that the contact plates of each pair are conductively connected together, contact springs 19,19 and 21, 21 will be connected together by means of the proper respective contact plates, and the normally closed connection between contact springs 20, 20 and 22, 22 will be interrupted; Upon cessation of current flow through the winding 6, spring 23 restores the armature and rotatable insulating disk to normal.

In electromagnetic relays previously used for similar service, the contact pressure between the contact springs was dependent, to a large extent, upon the value of the energizing current. In relays embodying this invention, the contact pressure between the insulating disk or the contact plates and the contact springs is at all times the same, regardless of the position of the armature, and is entirely independent of the magnetizing current in the electromagnet. Another feature of importance is that. the minimum holding current can be considerably reduced from that previously required, since it is now necessary to hold the armature in actuated position only against the force of the retractile spring, and not against that of the contact springs as Well, as previously Was the case. Reliability of contact is further insured: by the fa'ct that the contacting surfaces are hrougl'it into sliding-engagement rather than into simple pressure engagement with each other.

What claimed is:

2. In an electromagnetic switching cle-i vice, a-magnetlc core, an energizing Wind ing-ther'efor, spool heads on the endsof said core, pair of supports 'niountedupon' one of saidvspool heads parallel to the axis of said core, adisk pivoted between sa-id supports, an armature and a plurality ofcon-' tacts mounted upon said 'disk, a' 'plurality of cooperating contact" springs supported upon said core.

- 3.-In1 an electromagnetic sWitchingfdevice, a'core, an energizingi winding there fona non c'onductive oscillating disk piv-' otally-supported on one end ancl ona pivot transverse to the axis of said core, a p1u-; rality ioi'eontacts and an armature carried by said disk, aplural-ity of contactsprings cooperating therewith extending parallel to theaxis of said core, and means for supporting-said contact lspr'ingson the-core.

v 4. In an electromagnetic switching" device, a core, an energizing Winding therefor, a disk pivoted on one endaoi the core, contact plates carried'aby said diskyan armature' mounted onthe edge of saiddisk in operative relation to said core and serving gnetic washing 'deto oscillate said disk upon the energization of said core, means for restoring thedisk "to 7 its normal position eupo nfthie idenrgization' '5. Inan electromagnetic switching-device, a core, an energizing Wi'iidingftliere for, a disk pivotally mounted on one end of said core, contact plates and armature carried by said disk, a plurality of contact springs mounted on the other end ofsaid core having free ends and extending; par allel to the core into operative relative'fto contacts of said disk. 7 Y,

6. In an electromagnetic switching-dc vice, a core, an energizing Winding there for, a disk-of insula't in materialmounted upon an axis perpendicular to'the'a'xisfof said'core, an armature and"contactgiilounted on said disk, anda pluralityoi cooperating contact springssuppoiftedon said core;

7. In an electromagnetic switching device, a. core, an energizing winding there for, 'a' disk pivotally mountedin alin'ement with the axis ofsaidcor'e, an-arlna'tulieand contact plates carriedby'said disk, andc'on tact springs cooperating with Said contact, plates. I

. 8. In an electromagnetic switching device," a core, an energizing- Winding forsai'dcore, a disk carrying anarmatureand contact plates supported in alineinent Withthe axis of said core, and a plurality ofcontact springs extendingarallel to the aXis of the core and xtendm beyond the -end therdf-- into cooperative relation with said Contact plates. 7 a we In Witness whereof I hereunto-subscribe my name this 8th day of SeptemberA; D.

1916. V v, H ALBENEJLUNDELL.

Gopiesioft hifsfpatcnt ni av' be obtaind forfivecents each, by addressingthe' floniin issi'oner or Batxit'sg I g Weshingtoml). 0.! r r 

